Contact straps in multiphase electrical switching devices have a connecting terminal at their outer end and are directly or indirectly connected to a stationary contact member with their inner end, said stationary contact member being brought into and out of contact with a movable contact member. It is known for contact straps to be secured in the switching device housing by pressing them in or embedding them by an injection molding process (DE 19904355 A1), by adhesive bonding (DE 10036350 A1), by a screw connection with a female thread in the switching device housing (DE 29604726 U1), in threaded plates (DE 19814410 A1), or in the contact straps (DE 3232173 C2), by holding them down with housing parts intended for this purpose (EP 645792 A1), by insertion (DE 10061394 A1) or by riveting.
The disadvantages of the known arrangements for securing contact straps are the high technological requirements in terms of equipment, tools and work hours for implementing the attachment, as well as the removal of the contact straps, which is sometimes impossible, sometimes possible only under certain conditions, and sometimes requires considerable effort. For example, in the case of a three-phase contactor having screwed contact straps, a customer who wants to do the manufacturer-recommended replacement of worn contacts with new contacts by himself/herself must unscrew and re-attach at least six screws along with their six retaining elements. Adhesive bonding of the contact straps requires pretreatment of the surfaces as well as curing times. Adhesively bonded parts entail an increased recycling effort.